


niche

by excorde (constant)



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Banter, Gen, chanhyun if u squint, junbob if u squint, junchan being bffs, this is a gen fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:07:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,595
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/constant/pseuds/excorde
Summary: Despite their stark differences, Junhoe and Chanwoo have managed to stay friends for the last fifteen years. How?Don't ask them; they have no idea either.
Relationships: Goo Junhoe & Jung Chanwoo
Comments: 3
Kudos: 10





	niche

**Author's Note:**

> there's a special place in my heart for junchan 
> 
> (i know i should be working on my wips but.............................)

There was this activity in kindergarten where they had been asked to draw the person sitting in front of them. One class can only handle so much six-year-olds so the few little tables around the room are assigned with two children at most.

Junhoe looks up at the boy in front of him, realizing that a pair of round clear eyes have already been staring back at him. 

It’s his first time looking at the boy. ( _Looks_ , not _sees,_ there's a difference). Junhoe has spent most of his time playing with the rowdier kids, not being able to pay attention to anyone else. Though, if Junhoe may judge him from a meter away, the kid seems to be just the type to save his breath unless talked to first. 

Junhoe decides right there that he likes him.

There are crayons and various craft materials strewn on the desk and Junhoe reaches out for an oil pastel before the teacher gives them the signal to start their activity.

Their work is quiet. Their table is probably the only one who hasn’t uttered a single word - the rest of their classmates are either yelling or whining or crying. 

Junhoe’s only quiet because he's concentrating. He always liked drawing, even as a little kid. At that age, he already realized and knew that he was good at it. (It was in the way his mother showered him with compliments every time he showed her his artworks. The way his sister would pin them on the fridge and ruffle his hair, and Junhoe would run back to his room, heart swelling with pride.) 

He adds details he could make out from the boy’s face - his big round orbs, his straight jet-black hair falling just above his eyes, his pointed nose, and his puckered lips as he works on his portrait of Junhoe. Junhoe feels a sudden excitement and curiosity to see what his drawing skills are like, wondering if the kid is just as good as him. 

“What’s your name?” Junhoe finally says, breaking the silence. He is doing the final touches to his portrait now, thus is finally able to hold a conversation. 

The boy masks a look of surprise at the question, but he composes himself quickly, then says, “Chanwoo. Jung Chanwoo.” 

Junhoe writes his name next to his portrait, enclosing it in quotation marks: 'Jung Chanwoo' it says in big scrawny handwriting. 

“I’m Junhoe.” 

“I know.” 

"How do you know?" Junhoe asks without looking up. There are still white gaps on his hair, so he's filling them out with black crayon.

"We introduced ourselves on the first day, remember?" 

"That was a long time ago." 

"It was last month." 

"I guess." 

Their conversation is interrupted by their teacher calling time’s up. Junhoe holds out his work proudly to the boy across from him. He doesn't think Chanwoo’s eyes could get any bigger than it already is, but it does. The look of pleasant surprise in his face feels incredibly satisfying. 

“Are you Picasso or something?” Chanwoo asks. 

Junhoe tilts his head, confused. “Who’s that?” 

Chanwoo shrugs. “All I know is that he’s a painter.” 

Junhoe shrugs too, indicating his zero knowledge on the subject. He says, “Show me yours.” 

At this, Chanwoo hesitates, his hand tightly holding on to the edge of the paper, crumpling it.

"Go on." Junhoe urges him gently. "Show me." 

Chanwoo holds the paper up to his nose, almost covering half of his face. 

Junhoe lets out a hum as soon as his eyes land on the artwork. 

It’s not _bad_ , but it’s not that good either. 

Junhoe must have been scrutinizing it with his face so much that Chanwoo suddenly places his work back down on the desk, face down. 

“I know it’s bad.” He says, eyes dropping down to the table. 

"No, no. It's not." Even if Junhoe had sounded sincere, Chanwoo didn't seem convinced. 

The teacher asks them to give their portraits to each other and Chanwoo is not very willing to hand over his work. 

Junhoe walks up to him, sliding his portrait towards the boy and takes his from the table. 

Chanwoo tries to take it back from him, but Junhoe's quicker. As soon as Chanwoo slumps back on his seat, Junhoe looks at the other kid's drawing again. 

This time, he smiles down at him, saying, "I think you did great." 

"Stop lying." 

"I'm not. Look," Junhoe shows him the paper and points at his nose on the portrait. "You got my nose right." 

Chanwoo finally burst laughing and Junhoe chuckles along. 

(The truth is, Junhoe's nose on the drawing is very crooked. And it's pink, for some reason.)

( _The truth is,_ Chanwoo has been a very insecure kid, and Junhoe's one of the few people who has always rooted for him. It was at that moment when Chanwoo decided that he likes him.) 

  
  
  


If you ask them, neither would be able to answer how they had managed to stay friends. 

Their differences are apparent. Their personalities are completely contradicting. 

Junhoe grows up to be a music-lover, collecting Bob Dylan EPs even if he’s yet to have a turntable. He came across a poem book in high school, sparking his love towards literature. Ever since then, he makes it a habit to compose his own pieces in his notebooks. He’s also into martial arts and when you can’t find him locked up in his room, the only place you’ll find him is at the gym.

Chanwoo does a lot of exercises too, _on his fingers_ , through computer games. The top two places where you’ll find him is in front of a screen and wherever baseball field the LG Twins are playing. 

While Junhoe restores his energy alone in his room, drinking brandy, Chanwoo finds a fun place to hang with a couple of his closest friends. 

They're a pair that don't match, but they're a pair that clicks. Somehow, in the midst of all their differences, there's a crack in their personalities which the one oddly fits in for the other, binding them together…

  
  
  


" _CHANWOO_!" Junhoe can’t believe he has to shout from the bathroom because his companion couldn’t hear the fucking doorbell from the living room. 

" _CHANWOO! GET THE DOOR_!" 

“ _I’M ON IT_!” Chanwoo yells back with the same intensity, only it doesn’t sound as threatening with the bathroom walls between them. 

“It’s the pizza! Have you paid for this yet?” 

“No! Online payment wasn’t working. Do you have cash on you?”

“Nope.” 

“I know you're lying, asshole." 

Chanwoo is the type of person who always carries a few bills with him, something his dad has advised him to do. He has been following this piece of life hack for as long as Junhoe can remember so he immediately knows when the other is lying to his face.

“But this isn’t my treat, yeah?” 

“Jesus, it's not like I won't pay you back!" 

(Junhoe will not pay him back.) 

“Where’s your wallet?” Chanwoo asks.

“I don’t know. If you can’t find it, you’re going to pay for it!”

“ _I’m gonna find it_!” 

When Junhoe walks back to the living room later, he finds Chanwoo sprawled on the floor, the box of pizza laid on the couch, next to it is Junhoe’s black leather wallet and a familiar-looking piece of parchment. 

Chanwoo holds up the pepperoni slice in his hand first, then Junhoe’s wallet, and says, “It was on the fridge, idiot. Also-” Next, he shows him the paper. 

“You still have this?” Chanwoo quirks an eyebrow and Junhoe casually walks up to him as he rolls his eyes. 

"Of course, I do. It's legitimate evidence of you being the worst kindergartener out there." 

"Very funny."

Junhoe laughs, “Also, don’t count your chickens or something-”

“ _That’s not even the correct expression_!” 

Junhoe ignores him,”I have a thousand other stuff I keep not only in my wallet but also in this little nook in my room.” 

“Yeah.” Chanwoo quickly agrees. “I found a movie ticket in there too. Is that the one where Bob hyung gave-” 

Chanwoo doesn’t get to finish because Junhoe throws a pillow at his face. Chanwoo guffaws. 

“Who told you to snoop around?” 

"For your information, it was right there on your desk. For everyone to see. It was like luring me to look at it." 

"Whatever." Junhoe finally grabs a slice for himself, moaning a little after his first bite. 

"You should totally clean your room." 

"You should totally mind your own business." 

Chanwoo proceeds as if he hadn't spoken, "Either that or you should ask Bobby hyung out already." 

"You're one to talk." 

"Suhyun and I are just friends." 

"Your defensive tone says otherwise." 

Chanwoo sighs, almost defeatedly. "I'll ask her out one day. Just - not right now, or in the near future." 

Junhoe says nothing because he doesn't know what to say. He's not really the best at giving advice. He only knows how to respond to banter and empathize with his friend because he knows exactly just how he feels. 

He has been putting off his confession for Bobby too and Junhoe can only guess that Chanwoo is just as scared as he is even when they're both dying to get their feelings out of their systems. 

Junhoe lifts his half-eaten pizza slice towards Chanwoo and it takes one look for the latter to immediately understand. They toast their slices to their cowardly selves. 

Greasy food and being unlucky in relationships - it's what brings them together. Despite their stark differences, Junhoe and Chanwoo are a pair that _clicks_.

  
  
  



End file.
